Enthusiastic Art Teacher In Need Of Students
As my blog descriptions implies, I am an aspiring art teacher. Therefore, I am for hire! The overall purpose of this blog is to share my creative ideas and thoughts on art education with my colleagues and other like minded individuals. The focus of this page however, is to provide prospective employers with a sample of what I am all about as an art educator. I have gathered several resources that I believe to be helpful to that cause. Below you will find a sample interview with my personal answers. Along the right column you will find images of my current resume as well as several letters of recommendation. Hopefully, you will find the information here and in the entire blog to be rather enticing! Of course, if you have questions, please do contact me at your earliest convenience.
An Interview With The Teacher
How do you measure student performance in your classroom?
Art can certainly be a tricky subject to grade. For all grade levels, I rely heavily on rubrics to determine performance on a particular project. This gives me the opportunity to evaluate a student's understanding of the concepts studied without limiting creativity. I believe that it is important that all students be graded on their effort, understanding and improvement, rather than the technical skills they have already acquired. Art is much more than the ability to create a accurate still life. Instead of simply rewarding artistic talent, it is my goal to encourage a love of learning and creative thinking.
Tell us about your discipline philosophy.
Being certified pk-12, it is important to be flexible with classroom management and discipline styles. That said, prevention is the most important thing to consider. With younger students some of the more critical things a teacher can do is be consistent, organized and develop routines. If students actually know the rules and routines, they tend to keep each other in line. I have found that older students benefit from a teacher with a sense of humor that treats them with respect. In addition to that, simply being interesting is extremely effective to preventing misbehavior. I do this by providing my students ample opportunity for creativity, choice, and independence. I try my best to incorporate relevant material that my students find appealing. I incorporate variety of media and subject matter whenever possible. I also ask my students what they would like to learn about. These various strategies create an atmosphere that promotes learning, creativity and self sufficient behavior.
In what ways do you communicate with parents on a regular basis?
First and foremost, I intend to keep an active blog similar to Tertiary-Colors. The blogroll will be up-to-date with posts about current projects, activities and events. In addition to those posts, I would like to keep a database of handouts and forms available for my students and well as their parents. This will give parents the opportunity to know what their children are studying without relying solely on the student to initiate that conversation. For elementary and middle school students, I like to attach a small description of the project and objectives directly to the back of their artwork. I also plan to incorporate occasional newsletters that will encourage parents to utilize the technology available to them and their children.
How can you make your teaching connect with student's real-world experience?
The beauty of art education is that it can be very versatile. The connections made in the classroom are determined by the teacher as well as the students. In my classroom, it is my preference to encourage self-discovery through art. Through the use of sketchbooks and thought-provoking projects, students are given ample opportunity to form their own opinions about themselves and their world. For example, a sketchbook can be a wonderful outlet for a student going through an emotionally trying life event. Essentially, art is a visual form of communication and what better way is their to relate to the 'real-world' than to express one's own ideas and opinions about it?
In what ways can you teach students to be accepting of one-another?
From a very early age, I have been fascinate by diversity. My favorite memories from childhood are those spent at the library learning about different cultures and then fabricating costumes and food based on the various traditions I discovered. I still hold onto this particular fascination and intend to incorporate many lessons into my curriculum that celebrate the unique qualities that we all possess. This would include lessons that focus on various art styles and customs from locations around the world, as well as within the local community.
In your opinion, what are some of the biggest challenges teachers face today?
Certainly, being an educator, comes with it's share of challenges. I think one such challenge, that is often overlooked, but pertains to teachers across all disciplines and grade levels, is the constant struggle to stay current and up-to-date. By all means, a teacher could follow the same routines and teach all the same lessons year after year, but the result would be a mediocre teacher at best. Of course, with years of experience, it would be nearly impossible not to pick up on management strategies that work wonderfully and the occasional go-to lesson that students love! But in between all that, a successful teacher will constantly strive to incorporate new information, technology, pedagogy, and current events.
